The black bass at Concepción can be contrary and moody creatures, given to ignoring whatever we might tie to the end of our lines to tempt them. But yesterday evening, for reasons best known to themselves, they decided that they were going to play ball. Whatever we were offering they were having it, and then some. No questions asked.

So Steve Lawler and I extracted more bass than we had ever caught there before. In fact I don´t think I caught that many bass anywhere. I lost count of how many inhaled my little streamer because I was just having too much fun playing them and then popping them back. I opted to fly fish from a float tube while Steve fished with conventional gear from the shore. It took him a change of lure or two to see what the bass were onto (a little silver spinner turned out to be the plat du jour). When he had sussed that out he was hauling them out, hand over fist.

We have both been playing this game long enough to appreciate the good times when they come along. We have fished here many times over the years and often the going has been tough and neither of us doubt that there will be tough times ahead. But philosophising about the inconsistent nature of fishing is not what we are keen to do at this moment. We are too stoked up by our recent success and fully believe ourselves to be the most talented black bass fishermen who have ever lived.

No question.

Whether or not Concepción is yielding fish, a visit here will nearly always give you something to remember. Yesterday, for me, it was a black stork. This is the first I have seen here or even in this neck of the woods for several years. Even better, Steve was treated to the sight of an osprey catching a fish and flying away with it. As the light faded the ibex were moving in the steep slopes well above the water. They always amaze me with their sure footedness in this rough terrain and how, when they stop moving, they simply disappear and it seems they have simply been absorbed into the landscape. I managed to take a photograph showing two from a small group of females and young who appeared as silhouettes against the sky.

We decided that next Sunday we might return and have another crack at those bass and see if our lucky streak continues.

What have we got to lose?

The most talented of bass fishermen? Obviously yes!

Sorry about the poor picture. This a black stork, a rare sight around here.
Ibex
Concepción has low water levels now. The Río Verde is little more than a trickle feeding water into the north end of the reservoir. Such water as the river provides is probably lost daily to evaporation.
This modest streamer took all of my fish. It is looking a bit beaten up but it took quite a battering.